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NATO to Hold First Training Exercise on Swiss Soil
Swiss President Adolf Ogi has officially opened the first joint exercise to be held with NATO forces on Swiss soil, according to Swiss Radio International.
Speaking Sunday about the "peacekeeping mission" to be held in the central Swiss city of Lucerne over the coming week, Ogi said the Swiss were both pleased and proud to be hosting such an event. But he emphasized that his country's membership in NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program is not the first step toward joining NATO. He insisted that the exercises did not threaten Switzerland's position of neutrality.
The annual Cooperative Determination exercise involves more than 400 participants from 19 nations, according to reports. It will allow soldiers from various armies to train together, and learn how to implement a cease-fire and provide humanitarian assistance under a United Nations Security Council mandate.
The participants will also undertake "virtual" computer-based exercises in Lucerne dealing with various types of conflicts such as ethnic violence and fighting over fuel resources in a fictional country.
The week-long exercise aims to test compatibility between armies, as well as forces' ability to cooperate.
Swiss Radio International said that Switzerland took a small step away from its traditional policy of strict neutrality in 1996 when it joined the PfP program in a bid to promote collective security in Europe, in the wake of the Cold War.
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